Automatic water-heater



No. 608,339. Patmed'Aug. 2, |898.A

w. L. MILLER.

AUTOMATIC WATER HEATER.

(Applicatio tiled Jan. 6, 189B.)

(No Model.) Y v Sheets-Sheet I.

TIB. I.

No. 603,339. Patented Aug. 2, 1898.

w. L. FULLER.

AUTOMATIC WATER HEATER.

(Appliceion med mi. 189s.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITNIESSES: INVENTOR,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEo WILLIAM L. MILLER, or PI'rTsB-UEG, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC WATER-HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 608,339, dated August 2, 1898. Application tiled January 6, 1898. Serial No. 665,735. (No model.)

a new and improved instantaneous automaticL water-heater, in new and improved means for regulating the supply of heat to the waterreceptacle, in new and improved burners, and in certain combinations and features of vconstruction, all as hereinafter fully set forth.

My present invention particularly relatesv to certain improvements in an instantaneous automatic Water-heater, such as is fully described in my pending application, Serial No. 653,670, filed October 1, 18W-an automatic water-heater in which the supply of heat to a Water-receptacle in which the water is to be heated is controlled by variations in the pressure of the water in the outlet-pipe or a passage from the water-receptacle caused by opening or closing or partly opening or closing one or more valves or faucets in the out-l let pipe or passage.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an application of my invention, Figure;

1 is a central vertical sectional view constructed in accordance with Iny invention,

Fig. 2, a top plan view of the regulator-cas'- ing and of the burners attached thereto, andl Fig. 3 a central vertical section through a modified form of regulator.

Referring to the drawings, a heating-coil 1l is shown inclosed in a casing 2, preferably. lined with non-conducting material 3 and Asupported on standards 4. Inithe vdrawings I' have shownthe heating-coil formedof a tube or pipe which is flattened or approximately elliptical in cross-section, but'having its end portions 5 and 5l circular in cross-section. This tube or pipe is made of thin copper or other good conducting material. This particular form of tubing or piping is preferable to the usual piping heretofore employed in Ywater-heaters, and the object in giving the piping the particular form referred to is to ing the length of the pipe.

lbers 13 and '714. all times in open communication with the water-supply-m'ain' and with the inlet end of the heating-coil through the passages 6 and 15 yanda very small passage 16. The object in increase the heating effect by increasing the heating-surface relative to the quantity of water contained in the coil without increas- I do not, however, desire lto be limited to the particular rform of piping or tubing above described, as

it Inay sometimes be more convenient to employ the usual style of piping, which is circular in cross-section throughout its length. The 'inletend 5 of the coil is connected with one end of the branch pipe from the iwater-supply main, and these pipes are at all times in openV communication with one another through passage G. The' outlet end 51 of the coil is also connected with the regulator andin open communication through passageGa with an ou tlet-pipe which leads to the outlet-valves or faucets through which the hot water is drawn for use. As shown in Fig. 1, the regulator comprises an upper portion 7 and a lower portion 8. The upper portion 7 is provided with means for connecting the inlet end aof the coil and the end of the branch pipe from the water-supply main with the regulator, and the lower portion 8 is provided with similar means for connecting the outlet end 5b of the coil and the outlet-pipe :which leads to the outlet-valves or faucets with the regulator.

The connecting means com-prise unions 9 and 9, rigidly secured to the lower ends of the coil, and are each respectively connected with screw-threaded short pipes 10 and 10% The inlet end 5a of the coil and the branch pipe from the watersupply main are connected with the regulator lby union 9 and the outlet end 5b of the coil jand the outlet-pipe which leads to the valves or faucets by the union 9,

lower portions 7 and S of the regulator are secured togetherby bolts 11, and between them 'is clamped a movable abutment or diaphragm The upper and 12, which divides the interior into two cham- The upper chamber 13 is at making the passage 16 of such small' diameter will be fully hereinafter pointed out, as this passage forms a characteristic feature in the present invention. v

The lower chamber 14 is at all times in open IOO communication through passage 17 with the outlet-pipe which leads to the valves or faucets through whichhot water is drawn for use.

Above the movable abutment or diaphragm 12 is a small diaphragm 18, securely held in place between the upper portion of the regulator and an annular plate 19 by small screws 20. The two diaphragms 12 and 1S are connected together by means of a stem 21 and plates and nuts, or they maybe connected by any suitable means which will cause them to move together. A gas-controllin g valve 22 is secured to the upper end of the stem 2l. and is adapt-ed to be moved by the diaphragms. The small diaphragm 18 separates the upper water-chamber 1.3 from the gas-valve chamber. The valve is normally held closed by the upward pressure of the water on the under side of the diaphragm 12 and by the upward pressure of the spring 23, and in case of the water being shut off from the main or of any breakage of the pipes the gas-valve will be closed by the spring 23.

A gas-supply pipe is connected with a passage or opening Q4 in the upper portion of the regulator-easin Gas passes from the passage 2t through a passage 25 into the valve-chamber. The valve controls the supply of to the cylindrical distributingchamber 2li, from which chamber some of the gas flows through passage 27 to jet-orifice 2R and thence to the central burner 30 and some through the radial passages 31 to the several jets 32 of the nipples E, secured to the upper portion of the regulator, and thence to the burners $33. The central burner 30, as well as the other burners 33, are preferably cylindrical in shape and are provided with openings 31, through which the mixed air and gas pass from the interior of the burners and at which openings the gas is ignited. All of the burners are provided near their lower ends with openings 35, through which air is admitted, the air-openings in each burner being on about the same plane as the horizontal plane on which the jet-orifice of the burner is situated. The upper portion ot' the central burner ltl is preferably shaped to form an elliptical orifice, and the other burners have their respective upper portions preferably shaped so as to form crescent openings. These openings are clearly shown in Fig. 2. The openings at the upper ends of the burners are formed by compressing the edges of an ordinary piece of pipe, so as to reduce the size of the opening to any required degree, so as to obtain the best results. The upper end of the central burner has its opposite sides pressed toward one another, so as to bring the opening in a central position, and the other burners have the openings formed in them by indenting one side only. The outer circle of burners all have their crescent-shaped openings all turned in different directions, so as to provide a good distribution of llame.

A pipe iG leads from the interior of the passage 2l and is provided at its upper end with a pilot-lnnner having a plug-cap, with a curved or hooded extension thereon forming a llame spreader and dellector 3S and a de- Hector 3f) for protecting the llame from eurrents of air. The pipe 3U is provided with air-openings 30, and a jet-orifice for gas is located near the lower end of the pipe. r1`he small light from this pilot-burner is kept constantly burning for the purpose of igniting the gas from the openings of the burner 3i) and the burners 233. In case of any explosion of gas in the upper part of the chamber or any downward or upward drafts of air the llame of the pilot-light will be protected by the deflectors 3S and 39, and the form of the upper hood or curved cap 3S is such that it will also prevent the flame from being blown out by any lateral draft of air, the inner surface of the hood acting as a deilector.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings I have shown a modified form of heat-regulator, the essential difference being that in this instance I employ a piston 4.2 for moving the valve 22 in place of the diaphragms 12 and 1S, above described.

A characteristic feature of the present invention is the means shown for maintaining the desired pressure of water in the upper water-chamber 11i, and the primary object of this construction is to maintain a uniform pressure within the chamber,said prcssu re being practically unaffected by the variation of the pressures in the coil or in the lower waterchamber 1ior the pressure in the outlet from the coil. r1his construct-ion renders the regulator exceedingly sensitive to the variations in the pressure of water in the outlet-pipe caused by opening or closing or partly opening or closing a valve or faucet through which hot water is drawn for use. I am enabled to maintain this uniform pressure in the upper water-chamber 13 by means of the small passage 1G, the cross-section of which is considerable less than the cross-section of the passage 15, which latter' passage is much less in cross-section than the passage G,with which it is in open communication. As the variation in the pressure within the chamber 13 in the construction of the regulator and its passages above dcscribed depends on the size of the passage in immediate communication with the chamber, it is evident that the smaller this passage the less liable is the pressure within the chamber to variation. By making this passage 1t quite small, as shown, the pressure within the chamber 13 is practically invariable so long as the pressure in the main is constant, and no sudden variation in the pressure in the chamber 13 will be caused by variations of the pressure in the coil. The

constant pressure acting on the upper side of the diaphragm 12 will unseat the gas-valve when a reduction of pressure is made in the pipe leading to the faucet, and this movement IOO IIO

vIo

the gas-valve to be held more tightly to its will be effected immediatelyzon suchreduction and independently of the flow through the passage 6 or through the coil.

The branch pipe from the water-supply main with which the passage 6 communicates is usually connected with the cold-water faucets, and when those faucets are opened or closed a sudden variation of pressure is liable to be effected in the passage 6; but with my improved construction no such sudden variation will be felt above the abutment 12 on account of the restricted passage '16. Any reduction of pressure in thepassage 6, caused by opening one or more faucets, even ifl it should be felt above the abutment or diaphragm 12, would ordinarily not cause any objectionable effects, as it would only cause seat and the reduction would not be sufficient to prevent the opening of the gas-valve when one or more of the hot-water lfaucets were opened; but`it often happens that in closing the cold-water faucets a sudden rise of pressure is causedin the passage 6 by what may be termed a ramming action of the water, the flow of which has been suddenly 'checked by closing the faucet, and it is in this connection that my improvementis specially advantageous, as the restricted passage 16 prevents a corresponding rise or sudden variation of pressure above the diaphragm 12, and thereby prevents theunseating of the gas-valve by any manipulation whatever of the cold-water faucets.

The new and improved burners above described form an important feature in the present invention, and their arrangement under the heating-coil, as shown in the drawings, is a very desirable arrangement, enabling the llame to come in contact with the coil at various points along the surface of the coil, thereby insuring a very quick heating of the Ihave shown a central burner and a series of burners arranged in a circle having as its center the center of the central burner.

The outer burners are secured to the upper Y part of the regulator-casing by means of the screw-.threaded nipples 32a and project into the interior of the casing 2 through holes in the base 40. vThe upper portion of the regulator-casing is secured to the base-plate 40 by means of the screw-threaded nipple 41, which forms the nozzle of the central burner, and when the ends of the coil are secured, as shown, to the regulator the coil, theregulator, and the burners are supported from the nipple 4l. By removing the lower nuts 42 and 42a and the-lead or other suitable washers 43 the coil may be lifted out through the top of the casing 2, and the regulator may then be detached from the base 40.

The parts 9 and 9 are rigidly secured to the lower ends of the pipes 5iL and 51 by braz ing or otherwise, and a tight joint is made around the short pipes 10 and 10iL by means of the washers 43 and nuts 42.

By the construction of my heater as herein described and shown by the drawings the water from the supply-main has a free and uninterrupted passage to the faucet in the service-pipe through which hot water is drawn for use. Water from the main is supplied to the 4heater through the branch pipe from the main through passage 6 and will lill the water-chamber 13 above the diaphragm 12 and the heating-coillX, the chamber 14 belovsT the diaphragm 12, the outlet-pipe from the coil, and the service-pipe in which the faucets for drawing off the'hot water from the heater are located. When no water is being drawn from the heater, the pressure in both the chambers 13 and-14 is such that the gas-valve 22 will be kept closed by the differential water-pres,- sure on the diaphragms and by the pressure of the springs 23. When it is desired to use hot water, an outlet-valve is opened. This immediately causes a reduction of pressure in the lower chamber 14, causing the opening of the gas-valve 22 and permitting gas to How to the distributingchamber 26 and from thence through passage 27 to the central burner 30 and through pipes 3l to burners 33. Air is admitted to the several burners thro ugh openings 35, and as the mixed air and gas escape through the openings in the top of the vburners the mixture will be ignited by the iiamefrom the pipe 3G.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In an automatic water-heater, the combinatiolnwith a receptacle for water to be heated having` an inlet and an outlet pipe, of a heat-regulator comprising an abutment or diaphragm whose movement controls thers u pply of heat, a restricted passage for the ad'- Inission of water from the inlet-pipe to the chamber on one side of the abutment, and a comparatively free passage through which the chamber on the other side of the abutment communicates with the outlet-pipe, or passage, substantially as set forth. l

2. In an automatic water-heater, the combination, with a heating-coil, of a movable abutment, for controlling the supply of heat thereto, one side of which is exposed to pressure from the inlet'to the coil by means of a restricted passage for preventing sudden variations of pressure on that side of the abutment by variationsof the pressure or flow in y the inlet passage or coil, and the other side of the abutment being exposed to the pressure in the outlet, substantially as set forth.

3. In an automatic water-heater, the compilot-burner on the small ICO IIO

bination, with the water-receptacle having an inlet and an outlet pipe, a heat-regulator comprising a movable abutment adapted to be operated by variation of pressure in the outlet, said regulator having passages communieating With the inlet and outlet pipes, the passage in immediate communication with the regulator from the inlet being mueh smaller than the Correspondingpassage from the outlet, substantially as set forth.

l. In an automatie Water-heater, the eembination, with the Water-receptacle having an inlet and an outlet pipe, a heat-regulator adapted to be operated by variation of pressure in the outlet, said regulator connected with the inlet and outlet pipes, an abutment or diaphragm dividing the interior of the regulator into an upper and a lower Waterehamber, passages communicating with the two ehambers from the inlet and outlet pipes, the passage from the inletin immediate eommunieation with the upper Water-Chamber being mueh smaller than the corresponding passage from the outlet to the lower ehamber, substantially as set forth.

5. In an automatic Water-heater, the combination, with a water-receptaclehavinginlet and outlet passages, of a heat-regulator, a movable abutment dividing the interior of the regulator into an upper and a lower Water-chamberrespectivelyeommunieatingwith the inlet and outlet passages, a fuel-passage in the regulator-easing above the upper Water-chamber and separated therefrom bya diaphragm, a fuel-distributing ehamber in the regulator above the fuel-passage, a valve for controlling the admission of fuel to the distributingehamber operated by the movable abutment, substantially as set forth.

t3. In an automatic water-heater, the eombination, Wi th the Water-receptaclehaving inlet and outlet pipes, of a heat-regulator in communication with the inlet and outlet pipes, a movable abutment within the regulator-easing, a fuel-supply passage and a fuel-distributing chamber in the regulator, a series of independent burners attaehed to the regulator, passages through the regulator eonneeting the distribntin g-ehamber with the burners, and a valve for eontrollin g the supply of fuel to the distributing-ehamber and operated by the movable abutment, substantially as set forth.

7. In an automatic Water-heater, the oombination, with the Water-receptacle havin ginlet and outlet pipes, of a heat-regulator, an abutment or diaphragm dividing the interior of the regulator into an upper and a lower Water chamber, a second dialihragm eenneeted to the first so as to form adil'ferential pressure device, passages eommunieatin g with the two chambers from the inlet and outlet pipes, a fuel-passage in the regulatoreasing Communicating with a fuel-distributing Chamber, a valve for controlling the supply of fuel to the distributing-ehamber, and means Connecting the diaphragms or abutments and the valve, substantially as set forth.

S. In an automatie Water-heater, the eombination, with a water-receptacle having inlet and outlet passages, a heat-regulator, a fuelpassage and a fuel-distrilmting chamber in said regulator, a valve between the fuel-passage andthe disti-ibnting-chamber, a movable abutment within the regulator-easing eontrolled by variations of pressure in the outlet-passage, a stem eonneetin g the valve and the movable abutment whereby the movement of the abutment governs the movement of the valve, burners, and means of eommunieation between the fuel-distributing ehamber and the burners, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM L. MILLER.

Witnesses:

THOMAS EWING, Jr., \V. G. DooLrr'rLn. 

